Awnings



AWNINGS Filed Dec. 28, 1956 1 Fl i 3 INVENTOR. YSAMUEL H. ELLMAN B Qdiwm ATTORNEYS States atent O AWNINGS Samuel H. Ellman, Detroit, Mich.,assignor to Lite-Vent, Inc., Detroit, Mich.

Application December 28, 1956, Serial No. 631,365

1 Claim. (Cl. -575) v welding or riveting or the like to form theunitary awning panel.

There have been a number of disadvantages to this type of constructionsince quite often part of the awning panel is damaged in transit orWhile hanging on a building so that replacement is necessitated. Wherethe panel is a single panel or is formed of a number of sectionspermanently secured together, there is no way of repairing or fixing anyone place on the awning, but instead a new awning must be ordered.Further, the problem of handling such a large size awning is complicatedby its very size. This type of awning must be assembled in a shop andshipped to the job complete. In many cases, tremendous trucks andtremendous handling equipment are required to carry and to mount theawning particularly where very large awnings are used on largebuildings.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to form a unitary single sheetawning out of a number of joined sections, wherein the sections may beeasily placed together and easily removed, but when secured togetherform a rigid integral appearing sheet without the appearance of beingformed of a number of sections. This is particularly important since theappearance is important to the consumer.

A further object is to provide a construction wherein a single sectionmay be stocked and this section may be used for all the various sectionsof the awning, thus requiring a limited inventory in making an awning ofany size by simply using more sections when necessary.

Still a further object is to form the sections in such a manner thatthey may be shipped to the job in a knockdown condition and may beeasily assembled with no effort and no special tools thereby reducingshipping costs, handling costs, and damage to the awning. Likewise,should any section of the awning or any part of the awning becomedamaged, that part can be easily replaced by removing it andsubstituting in a new section.

These and further objects of my invention will become apparent uponreading the following description of which the attached drawings form apart.

With reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an awning formed in accordance with thisinvention, with the supports upon which the awning is mounted beingomitted.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view showing two sections and a valancesecured together.

Fig. 3 is a top view of two sections as they are being assembledtogether.

The awning, of this invention, is formed of a top awning panel 10 whichis a single sheet panel of thin sheet material, such as thin gauge sheetaluminum or the like, secured to support bars 11. The support bars arein turn secured to the building upon which the awning is mounted in anyconventional manner. The construction described above is conventional.

The novel construction consists of forming the panel 10 out of sections15 with each of the sections being identical to one another. Eachsection is formed in a stair-like configuration having treads 16 andrisers 17 and terminating at the upper end in a riser 17a and at thelower end in ariser 17b. All of the risers including the end risers areof the identical size and all the treads are also. of identical size.Each section is identical to each other so that they may be usedinterchangeably and may interlock interchangeably.

The panel 10 is made up by assembling a number of the sections 15. Thisis accomplished by providing interlocking means consisting of a flange18 formed integral with the riser 17a to form a channel 19 between theflange 18 and the riser 17a. The channel is approximately the width ofthe thickness of the sheet material. Likewise, on the riser 17b a flange20 is formed integral and spaced from this riser to form a channel 21also of approximately the thickness of the sheet material, Note, thatthe flanges 20 and 18 face towards each other.

The identical sections 15 are joined by sliding the flange 18 into thechannel 21 or conversely by sliding the flange 20 into the channel 19 bymoving the two sections together in the directions of arrow 25 for thelower section and 26 for the upper sections as shown in Fig. 3.

This sliding interlock is easily accomplished, and the frictionalcontact formed between the flanges and the risers at the joint issufiicient to prevent the members from becoming dislodged relative toone another.

The riser 17b being outside of the flange 18 when the sections areassembled appears to be integral with the next tread 16 beneath it sothat the composite panel seems to be made of an identical series oftreads and risers formed of a single sheet of sheet material.

The panel 10 may be secured to the bars 11 in any conventional manner,such as by means of ordinary sheet metal screws which are passed throughthe treads 16 at their respective risers, and into the bar 11 to holdthe panel to the bar. The screws may be arranged so that their headspress against the risers 17b and crimp or dimple into these risers so asto mechanically interlock the junction between the flanges and therisers (not illustrated). This additional crimping guarantees that thepanel will not come apart under any stress or load.

In awnings of various types formed of sheet metal, valances arefrequently formed on the front or lower end because of appearancerequirements as Well as for rigidifying the front end of the awning. Inthis case the valance may be formed by providing a sheet 30 having anintegral downwardly extending flange 28 which may he slipped into thechannel 21 formed between the flange 20 and the riser 17b of the lowestsection of the panel 10.

It can be seen, that this construction provides a unitary panel 10formed of a number of sections each extending the widths of the awningbut interlocked together so as to give the appearance of a unitary panelas well as to give the structural advantages of a unitary panel.Further, the sections may be removed at any time quite easily and may beassembled easily on the job, and moreover, being identical, the supplierneed carry only one cross-section in his inventory and simply use thatcrosssection over and over again.

This invention may be further developed within the Patented Jan. 6,1959.

scope of the following attached claim. Accordingly, it is desired thatthe foregoing description he read as being merely illustrative of anoperative embodiment of my invention and not in a strictly limitingsense.

I now claim:

In an awning formed of a unitary, thin sheet metal material bent into astair-like configuration in cross-section, the improvement consisting ofa single panel being formed of a number of identical sections eachextending the entire Width of the panel and each section being bent intoa number of identical downwardly directed steps extending the full widthof the section and formed of risers and treads which meet atsubstantially sharp right angle bends and terminating in risers, theriser on the upward end of the section extending upwardly and the riseron the downward end of the section extending downwardly, with the riserat each end having an integral flange bent from and arranged parallel tothe respective riser and extending the full length of the respectiveriser and spaced from the riser a distance approximately the thicknessof the sheet material to form a channel opening towards the steps, butwith the flanges being on the sides of their risers which face towardseach other and the end risers being of the same height as the riserslocated between them; the flange on one section riser being frictionallyinterlocked in the channel of the adjacent section riser to secure thesections together end to end and to form a four ply thick seam extendingthe full width of the panel and acting as a support joist, with theinterlocking being accomplished by sliding one flange into the adjacentchannel in the direction of the length of the flange and 'of thechannel, wherein the sections form a single panel having the appearanceof being formed of a single sheet of material shaped like a conventionalstairs; said panel being secured to support bars having flat topsurfaces and arranged beneath the panel transverse of the steps, withthe sharp corners formed by a tread meeting the lower end of a riserresting upon the support bar top surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

